A virtual private service chain relates to a networking technique for implementing a nested service chaining solution, which is based on leveraging an intelligent classifier within a public service chain that maps traffic into a private service chain. This private service chain consists of a private classification engine with defined rules enabled by a third party, and dedicated virtual instances of network service functions expressed in a service catalog, that are chained based on private classifications.
Service functions in the service chain are instantiated by a service provider, such as a mobile service provider, and include functions such as deep-packet inspection (DPI), firewall services, network address translation (NAT), and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) application functions, among other functions that are assigned to a customer. As traffic travels through these services functions, the service functions augment or operate on the traffic.